Warning raised of possible fatal side effect of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic

Overseas health officials have issued a new warning about serious - potentially life threatening - side effects of semaglutide medication. See the signs to watch out for.

There’s no doubt that GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic have been revolutionary — although the benefits do sometimes come with some unsightly downsides such as tooth decay, a droopy face or mouth, a saggy butt and hair loss.

Then there are the more common side effects, like icky gastrointestinal issues, that are at best unpleasant.

Now, a UK regulator is shining a light on side effects that are much more serious — and even potentially deadly.

The country’s Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency’s Yellow Card scheme, the UK’s official system for collecting and monitoring reports of suspected side effects or bad reactions to drugs and devices, has received nearly 400 reports of serious pancreas trouble from users of GLP‑1s.

A warning has been issued of the potentially fatal side effects of using weight loss jabs.

Acute pancreatitis is a sudden, often extremely painful inflammation of the pancreas that usually sends people to the hospital with severe abdominal pain, nausea and fever.

While in many cases it’s manageable, it can occasionally turn serious or even fatal if it triggers complications.

In the UK alone, there have been at least ten deaths linked to this condition among users of GLP‑1 drugs.

Pamphlets on the popular drugs note that pancreatitis is an uncommon reaction that only affects one in 100 users — but the condition is deemed serious enough to warrant further investigation.

In the UK alone, there have been at least ten deaths linked to acute pancreatitis among users of GLP‑1 drugs.

“Sometimes genes can influence the side‑effects an individual experiences when taking a medicine,” the MHRA told the Guardian, indicating they hope genetic screening might cut future risk.

“Patient safety is Lilly’s top priority,” the pharmaceutical company that makes Mounjaro told the Guardian.

“We take reports regarding patient safety seriously and actively monitor, evaluate and report safety information for all our medicines.”

“We recommend that patients take these medications only for their approved indications and under the strict supervision of a healthcare professional, who can also advise on potential side effects,” Novo Nordisk, which produces Ozempic and Wegovy, told the outlet.

“We continuously collect safety data on our marketed GLP-1 medicines and work closely with the authorities to ensure patient safety ... we welcome any new research that will improve our understanding of treatments for people living with chronic diseases.”

A 2024 analysis has found 6751 reports of acute pancreatitis associated with GLP-1 drugs between 2005 to 2023.

Although US regulators have not launched a formal investigation, this issue isn’t limited to patients across the pond.

A case study describes a 36-year-old woman in the US who “developed acute pancreatitis within five weeks of exposure to semaglutide therapy.”

The paper references a “study involving 1269 hospitalised cases of acute pancreatitis demonstrated that patients who were exposed to GLP-1 RAs within the last 30 days were over twice as likely to develop pancreatitis.”

A 2024 analysis also found 6751 reports of acute pancreatitis associated with GLP-1 drugs between 2005 to 2023.

While US regulators like the FDA have not launched an investigation, they do require all GLP-1s to carry warnings about the risk of acute pancreatitis and are monitoring for this side effect.

In Australia, Semaglutide, marketed in Australia under the trade names Ozempic and Wegovy, belongs to a class of medications called Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists (GLP-1 RAs), said the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA).

“GLP-1 is a hormone that has actions within the body which include a role in glucose and appetite regulation. Clinical studies have demonstrated that semaglutide reduces energy intake, increases feelings of fullness, reduces feelings of hunger, and the frequency and intensity of food cravings, accounting for its efficacy in weight management. Clinical studies have also demonstrated that semaglutide reduces blood glucose levels, accounting for its efficacy in diabetes,” a statement said.

“Known side effects are listed in the TGA-approved Product Information (PI) for Ozempic and Wegovy (semaglutide) ... Pancreatitis is included as a known uncommon side effect of semaglutide in the PI and CMI documents for both Ozempic and Wegovy.”

The TGA advised people to read the information documents about the medication on their website.

This story was originally published on The New York Post.

Originally published as Warning raised of possible fatal side effect of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic